Thirst
by KDMOSP
Summary: A medical emergency on board the BAU jet.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I am writing this story for a certain awareness month! If you can guess what JJ has, go for it! If you know how I write, you know my chapters are short, but I do not drag the story on!**

**ENJOY! Oh, and please review, they really make my day!**

Spencer Reid watched his colleague with concern, something was not right; no, something was very wrong. The normally vibrant, lively blonde was sound asleep on the jet's reclining seat. She wasn't just cat napping- she was out cold. They had been in the air for just over three hours and JJ had been asleep the entire flight, almost as soon as they had boarded the plane after another successfully solved case. And while he should be relaxing right then, Reid couldn't help but feel worried.

JJ just hadn't been herself that case, she had been irritable, exhausted, weak, just sick. Of course,she had dismissed all of their concerns, automatically telling the team that she was fine and to "leave it alone." But as the week went on, Reid's concern grew. He noticed how her pants no longer seemed to fit, they appeared as if they were at least two sizes to large; and for JJ's already slight frame, two sizes was nothing she could afford to lose.

She had been eating, he knew that, in fact, she almost seemed ravenous, eating anything she could get her hands on. And on top of the eating, JJ constantly had to have something to drink, anything. And it was constant, as if she couldn't quench her thirst, no matter how much she drank.

Weight loss, extreme thirst, exhaustion, irritability.. Reid's mind began searching itself for any possibilities. The flu came up, but he quickly shook it away, JJ hadn't been running a fever.

He glanced up just in time to see Morgan walk by and gently cover JJ with a blanket, the woman did not move as Morgan tucked it around her shoulders and feet making sure she was warm. "She looks awful, man."

Reid nodded, taking in JJ's pale color. "I know." The entire team knew, but nobody knew what to do. They all knew Hotch could force JJ to go to the doctor before returning to the field, but Hotch apparently did not want to do that.. yet.

Yet, as the jet flew up, Reid was wondering if Hotch should have done it before they had left the safety of Hawaii.

"Who has nail polish remover?" Reid's head shot up and looked directly at Morgan, who was sitting next to JJ. He had shifted her body so that her head was resting on his shoulder instead of up against the wall.

"What?" Reid's heart rate picked up.

"You don't smell it?" Morgan asked again, looking around for the source of the smell.

"Nail polish remover." Reid jumped up and ran to Morgan's side, kneeling in front of JJ and taking in a deep breath. And in an instant, he knew what was wrong with JJ.

"HOTCH!" He shouted, as he shook JJ, hoping she would wake up. "JJ, come on, open your eyes!" He demanded, ignoring the rest of the team who had rushed to his side.

"Reid.." Hotch asked, his voice showing concern.

"Hotch, we need to land the plane now, she has to get to the hospital." He explained, desperately trying to wake JJ up, but with no luck.

Hotch didn't ask any questions, but instead ran to the cabin, ordering an emergency landing on behalf of his agent.

"JJ.." Reid tried again, hoping they were not too late. She was not waking up, and he wasn't sure how much longer she had.


	2. IV

**A/N: WOW! Major thanks ya'll! My email kept alerting to review after review, favorites and followers. Thank you guys so much, it really made my day bearable. And if you guessed it right, congratulations! Also, while I may be a diabetic, I am not a doctor so if something does not make sense, sorry!**

"Reid, what is going on?" Morgan asked, worry mounting as he realized JJ was not waking up. She hadn't been sleeping, she was unconscious. And had been for God knew how long. Morgan looked up, trying to get a feel for how bad the situation was, hoping Reid would tell him something, anything. "REID!" He demanded.

"She needs to get to an ER, Morgan.. I cannot do anything here." He answered, sounding defeated. "We can try and wake her up, but given how long she has been unconscious.." He left the sentence open on purpose, hoping the seasoned profiler would catch on. "She's sick. Morgan, very, very sick."

"I can see that Reid, what do we do for her?" He gestured to JJ as Hotch approached, the familiar red first aid kit in hand.

"We can't land for another two and a half hours." Hotch's voice was low, and while he would never show it, both Reid and Morgan knew he was worried. "We will be landing in Seattle, a medical chopper will be waiting." The guilt he was feeling was immense, he knew he should have forced JJ to go to the hospital. She had been looking bad for a few weeks now, and this morning before the plane had taken off he had briefly debated having an ambulance meet them on the runway to take JJ to the ER. He had had his cell in hand ready to make the call when he boarded the plane and saw that JJ had already fallen asleep. It could wait until they landed, JJ would be fine for a few hours.

If only he had made that call.

"Reid.." Hotch pressed hoping the young agent would explain JJ's condition.

"She's most likely in Diabetic Ketoacidosis, DKA."

"JJ isn't diabetic." Morgan interrupted.

"She has all the symptoms, the lethargy, the weight loss, thirst, hunger. The nail polish scent you were describing earlier, is coming from her. Her body is burning ketones, trying to use her fat as energy. She has no insulin, glucose cannot get into her cells.." He rattled on, digging through the first aide kit for anything that may help.

"Reid, I have been in contact with some of the ER physicians at the hospital JJ will be taken to, they need an IV started.." Hotch explained, trying to keep the situation as calm as possible. If he had to, in a situation like this, he could start an IV, as long as he was being guided by someone.

Hotch had been patched through to the ER, the chief in charge of the ER had taken the phone call and after a brief history of JJ's symptoms, the doctor explained to Hotch that at the very least, JJ was most likely dehydrated and needed an IV ASAP. Although Dr. Christopher rarely if ever made diagnosis' over the phone, he felt certain about this one when he told the agent that his friend had most likely fallen into a diabetic coma. And given that Hotch had reported that JJ had not been awake for almost four hours, Dr. Christopher's heart sank a bit more when he told Hotch to have someone ready to perform CPR at anytime.

"There should be a kit in the first aide kit." Reid said, sounding confident in his ability to start an IV. He had read numerous medical textbooks and didn't see it to be that much of a problem.. until he realized that JJ was severely dehydrated. "Morgan, lay her down on the floor." Reid instructed.

He did this for two fold, one so he could locate a vein and two, in case JJ stopped breathing, they would have an adequate surface to do CPR on.

As Morgan stood up, JJ in his arms, he felt tears stinging his eyes. His JJ, his baby sister was deathly ill and seemed to weigh no more than a feather. He kept the blanket around her and used it as padding when he laid her down on the floor. She didn't move the entire time and was simply limp in his arms. It was when he stood back up that he noticed JJ's shirt had ridden up a bit, and revealed just how much weight she had lost. Her ribs seemed to be poking through her skin. "JJ, girl." He whispered and stroked her blonde hair.

"Reid, can you get an IV?" Hotch watched with growing concern as Reid looked on both hands and arms for a suitable vein.

"Yes, but I have to find a vein that will work." He whispered feeling slightly guilty for searching JJ's body the way he was, but he knew that it was in a basic effort to save her life. "Take off her shoes." He commanded, hoping for a vein.

It was when he had finally found a vein, in her left foot that he noticed something. JJ's breathing had become so rapid that he knew at any moment she would require assistance. It was what happened next that he did not expect and had no way to prepare for.

"Hotch, call the doctor, she's seizing!" Her condition was quickly deteriorating and they still had almost two hours before JJ would get any proper medical help, until then it was up to the team to keep their friend alive.


	3. Altitude

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews. I hope this story is meeting your expectations, I am trying my best to make sure it is accurate, and engaging. Also, I am not a medical professional, so if something is wrong in here I apologize! PS.. I admit, I am addicted to reviews, please keep them coming!**

"Hotch!" Reid screamed again, he needed help, he wasn't sure he could handle this extent of a medical emergency by himself. He needed guidance, even if that meant just having a medical doctor's voice.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, he would be of no use to JJ if he began to panic. She was in desperate need of a doctor, but right then, he was all she had; she was counting on Spense to save her life. Another deep breath and he began to think of how to help. The seizure had stopped after lasting nearly two minutes and JJ was in the recovery position. Morgan was bracing her on her side as he rubbed her back gently.

"Morgan, you need to make sure she doesn't aspirate." Reid began as he again picked up the IV kit to try for a vein. "She may vomit, make sure she is able to clear her airway." He warned hoping Hotch would come back to them soon. Until then, he was on her own.

"Do we need to keep her warm or anything?"

Reid shook his head, "No." His mind had already processed what was likely happening to his friend, a complication of the DKA- a cerebral edema. Her brain was swelling; and the increased pressure from the high altitude was probably only making the entire situation worse. "No, it might actually help if she is kept cold." It was a long shot but worth it. Keeping JJ cold could potentially slow down the swelling- and while the therapy was not something widely used, it was all he had.

Morgan nodded, not doubting what Reid was saying as Hotch approached them with the familiar tablet in his hands. He got down on his knees and helped Morgan gently remove JJ's jacket- overhearing the conversation Reid had just had.

"Reid, Dr. Christopher is concerned JJ may have a brain bleed. He thinks thats what caused the seizure." Hotch held out the tablet to Reid, "He is going to call us back in a few minutes, he is looking for a private room so he can stay in contact with us."

"We need to fly lower.." Reid whispered looking at JJ and hoping they could land in time. "It could help relieve some of the pressure in her brain."

"I'll let the pilots know." Hotch said softly looking down at his agent. "Reid.. is she in any pain?" He hated seeing her like this, so vulnerable, so sick.

Reid shook his head. "No, I don't think so. If anything, she might have a bit of a headache." Truthfully, he doubted JJ was feeling anything at this point. "We just need to get there Hotch."

Hotch nodded and swallowed before sitting on the floor next to this three agents. "Dr. Christopher warned me of a few things. Most we already know. JJ is critically ill, and will be transferred from the ER to the ICU as soon as they have her stabilized, a bed is already waiting for her. Second," Hotch paused hoping to be able to get the next sentence out without a hitch in his throat. "He is worried about JJ's breathing right now. He wanted to have her intubated but we do not have the equipment on board." Which would not happen again, Hotch thought to himself. After he was sure JJ was safe, his priority would be getting the plane ready for any kind of medical emergency- a first aide kit was not good enough. "We need to prepare for her breathing to stop- Dr. Christopher is almost certain it will happen and we need to know what to do."

"The AED.." Morgan remembered the small, life saving kit that was stored in one of the bens and rushed to get it.

"We just need to be ready." What else could he say? So, with no more words, he began sorting through the scattered medical supplies, sorting and arranging so that anything and everything could be quickly accessed when needed.

It was when his heart rate had slowly returned to almost normal that Morgan's voice startled him. Hotch looked up to see the two male agents leaning back over JJ, Morgan furiously pumping on JJ's chest while Reid tilted her head back, ready to give the rescue breaths, both agents were sweating, and Hotch swore he saw tears on both men.

It was after two minutes that he heard the words. "We got her.." Reid whispered, grabbing one of the masks from the first aide kit and quickly placing it over JJ's mouth and nose. Hotch knew the mask, a BVM mask as it was called. It was used to manually ventilate those who couldn't breathe for themselves. And as he looked down at the team, Reid forcing air into JJ's lungs by way of a bag valve mask, it occurred to Hotch that today, he might not lose an agent to a bullet or UNSUB, he might lose her to something as common as diabetes; and he was powerless to stop it.


	4. Beating

**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving all! Thank you for your reviews! And yes, diabetes can be this serious, believe it or not! In this story, JJ has Type 1 diabetes.**

**Again, thank you for the reviews! I LOVE them! I don't own Criminal Minds...**

Morgan watched as Reid continued to force air into his friend's lungs, making sure JJ kept breathing.

"Reid, let me take over." Morgan offered, seeing his coworker switch the bag in hands. His hands had to be sore by now, he had been squeezing the bag about sixteen times a minute for the past forty five minutes. They were getting close to landing, to the airport, to help; their pilot had announced that they would be on the ground in under twenty minutes. JJ had to hold on that much longer.

"I've got it." Reid whispered, not taking his eyes off his friend. He methodically squeezed the bag, almost habitual by now; once every 3.75 seconds. He had calculated the math in his head and had figured out how often to squeeze and in the last forty five minutes, he had essentially breathed for JJ seven hundred and twenty times. His hands hurt, his hands were tired, he was exhausted physically and emotionally.

"Reid, just for a few minutes." Morgan reached over and gently took the bag out of Reid's hands and quickly took over the squeezing.

"We broke her ribs.." Reid whispered, seeing the already bruising skin on JJ's chest. Her shirt had been ripped during the frantic CPR.

"We didn't have a choice, Reid." There had been no choice, JJ needed CPR and the only effective way to make sure JJ had a chance was to do CPR the correct way. They had to use force to keep her heart beating even if that meant breaking her ribs. "She is still breathing right now because of that, I think when she wakes up her ribs will be the last thing on her mind."

Reid was about to speak, argue when he saw Hotch walk back towards them from the cockpit. His tie was gone, as was his jacket, his shirt had come untucked and he was sweating- he was just as upset and nervous as they were.

"We will be landing in ten minutes, Dr. Christopher is waiting to meet us with an air ambulance, JJ will be taken straight from the jet to the chopper. We will meet them at the hospital. There is no room for us to fly, Dr. Christopher needs the space." He glanced down at JJ. "How.."

"She hasn't volunteered a breath on her own since the seizure." Reid began. "She hasn't seized again, as long as we keep ventilating her, she might be okay." He offered a bit of hope. "She's holding her own."

"Of course she is, she's Jayje." Morgan smiled as he continued squeezing the bag. "She kicks ass and takes names."

"When we land, we need to back off and let the medics take over." Hotch warned as he felt the plane continue it's decent. "Dr. Christopher is bringing a trauma nurse as well. The EMTs, and medical staff will meet us."

They could only nod, there were no more words to be said. For five minutes, they remained silent, simply watching over and guarding JJ. It was as they touched down that Moran grabbed JJ's hand and held onto it, squeezing it gently. She had to know they were there, wanting to help her, take care of her. He wondered if she was scared, if she knew what was going on, if she knew they were there.

"JJ." Morgan started as the plane began taxing to the waiting medical team. "JJ, you held on this long, you just need to a bit longer. We've got you help, they are coming on board in a few seconds. I don't think they know who they are dealing with JJ, that you won't go down without a fight. You have proven you ar going to fight- so show them." He bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

It was a minute later that the medical team rushed aboard, equipment ready. The three male agents watched helplessly as JJ was surrounded by strangers, one of them sticking a tube down her throat, while others stuck needles into her arms, getting the IV that Reid had been unable to.

It was the screaming of the heart monitor that ripped through the ears of the agents and then a male voice shouting for them to move JJ now.

Hotch, Reid and Morgan watched as JJ was rushed from the plane, out the door and towards a waiting helicopter. They could hear Dr. Christopher shouting orders and commands, spouting out medical terms none of them knew.

And as JJ was loaded inside, all three men bowed their heads, hoping against all odds that their friend, agent, colleague would pull through.

She had to. And just as they were about to head back on the plane to gather their belongings, Hotch looked up one more time to see one of the EMT's trying to get his attention.

He quickly ran off the jet to the chopper "What?"

"I just wanted to tell you, she is stable." The EMT smiled. "You guys did a good job, you saved her life. We will see you at the hospital."

And with that, Hotch smiled and let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding.


	5. A Chance

**A/N: I am posting a second chapter today, I am going to be so busy this weekend that I am not sure I can post as often. Plus I really love writing this. Thank you all who have favorited, followed or reviewed this story, it makes me feel I am doing something right!**

Dr. Waylon Christopher wiped the sweat off his brow as he continued to fight for the life of his most recent patient; an FBI agent. Once he had her airway secure on the plane, the team had quickly transferred her to the waiting chopper. He had directed the paramedic to inform Hotch that his agent was stable, the last thing he needed was to have his patient's coworkers in a wreck and end up in his trauma room.

He had lied.

At the time, the agent had been far from stable- her vitals bouncing all over the place. He had honestly worried that they might not make it to the hospital in time- but she had surprised him.

Now, she was about to be on her way up to the ICU. He had confirmed his suspicion, Agent Jennifer Jareau was in severe DKA. Her blood sugar was 2,986, a jaw dropping number, a number he had never seen before in all his years of practice. He had had the lab rerun the value just to make sure, it had come back two number higher. It was a miracle the woman had made it this long.

"Waylon? You alright?" He heard the soft voice of Dr. Jennings say to him, felt her gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Of course." He looked back down at his patient, now breathing safely with the assistance of a ventilator. "She'll be okay." He tried to convince himself. She had to be, an entire team of FBI agents were waiting outside for him to come tell them she would be okay.

"She will." Jennings said, finishing off signing in her name in the chart. She had met the agent on the helipad and quickly realized that the woman needed a Ventriculostomy to help drain the fluid. With skilled hands, the surgeon had been able to quickly insert the small tube through a hole drilled into the skull and begin draining the excess fluid. The tube remained, but the MRI had showed correct placement.

"Do you want me to talk to them, Waylon?" Jennings offered "Or at least go with you?"

All she got was a nod.

Hotch, Morgan and Reid sat in the waiting room, silent. It hadn't taken them long to get from the airport to the hospital. Less than twenty minutes, but they had been sitting in the waiting room for almost two hours now, with no word. The rest of the team had been called, Rossi, Blake, Garcia and then of course, JJ's parents who would be on the next flight out.

Suddenly, two figures approached them, both in scrubs, one, Hotch recognized as Dr. Christopher. The team jumped up seeing the two approach.

"Agents." Christopher began. "She's stable, for now. She is on her way to the ICU." He took a deep breath and motioned for them to sit. "This is my colleague, Dr. Jennings, she is one of the best neurosurgeons we have on staff."

"Wait. Why did JJ need a neurosurgeon?" Morgan asked, not realizing his concern could increase anymore, apparently he could and just did.

"Agent Jareau had what we call a cerebral edema, basically her brain was swelling. I was called in to help relieve that pressure."

"I thought she was diabetic, what does it have to do with her brain?" Morgan questioned. He vaguely recalled Reid mentioning something about it on the plane, but it had gone in one ear and out the other when JJ stopped breathing.

"She is in diabetic ketoacidosis, just as we thought she was. Agent Jareau's blood sugar is dangerously high right now and we are working to bring it down."

"What is it at?" Reid questioned, speaking up for the first time.

"Almost 3000," Christopher answered. "Normal blood sugar should be between sixty-one twenty. Anything above that, we start to look at. However, there is no looking at a 3000, she is diabetic." He paused and licked his lips. "There is a test that we also run, it is commonly referred to as an A1C and is recommended to keep below seven. Her's was near twenty."

"This has been coming for months." Reid mumbled.

"Yes, she has probably been sick for a while now. It might have mimicked the flu or a stomach virus. She probably didn't even know."

"What do we do now?" Hotch asked.

"We monitor her in the ICU, start insulin therapy and rehydrate her. We are keeping a close eye on her intracranial pressure and heart right now. There is not much more we can do at this point, DKA can take a while to reverse."

"But you can, can't you?" Morgan asked.

Jennings looked to Christopher. "If we caught it in time, and right now, we can't say for sure if we did."


	6. Blanket

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, I keep saying how much they make my day, but they really do! Pretty please, keep them coming. I am not sure how long this story will be, but it won't be much longer :) Enjoy!

Aaron Hotchner walked through the halls of the ICU just like he had done the previous three days. He had already become familiar with the winding hallways, the doors, the policy that did not allow for flowers to be brought in. So instead, he brought in a blanket, a plush blue blanket with the FBI emblem proudly displayed on it. He knew JJ was proud of her title as an agent, and being in a diabetic coma shouldn't take any of that pride away; he wanted all of the staff to know who JJ was; and how proud he was to call her his agent.

"Hi JJ." He walked in and went straight to her side. He noticed a few things, the first being that the ventilator was still very much present, but the plastic tube that has been placed in her skull was now gone. That had to be a good sign. "You're looking better." He whispered, rubbing her IV ladened hand. In all honesty, she was looking much better, he could tell she was rehydrated, that she had color in her cheeks again, that her body didn't look like it was starving itself.

"Agent Hotchner, it's good to see you." Hotch turned around to see one of JJ's nurse waltz into the room, a smile on her face. Becky had been there the moment JJ had been transferred up to the unit, and had quickly become one of the Hotch's favorite nurses. She was gentle, and kind to JJ, even spoke to the comatose woman. The day before, Hotch had accidently walked in while Becky and another nurse were giving JJ a sponge bath- he had quickly ducked back out but not before he heard Becky softly singing to JJ as she washed the blonde hair with care.

"How is she doing, Becky?" Hotch asked as he spread the blanket over JJ.

"Better!" The nurse piped, "Her blood sugar is down into the three hundreds- not great but a significant improvement over 3,000! Dr. Jennings felt that it would be safe to remove that pesky tube from her skull and did that this morning." Becky gestured to a gauze bandage that was attached to JJ's head. "She did great."

Hotch nodded. "Has she.." He hoped

"Not yet," Becky shook her head. "But she is getting there, slowly but surely, she is getting there."

He had made it back to the hotel and had just gotten out of the shower when his phone rang. Instantly he answered the phone without glancing at the caller ID, and his heart plummeted when he heard Becky's voice- asking him to get back to the ICU immediately.

Hotch rushed out the door, back towards the SUV and without a second thought of it, turned on the lights and sirens desperate to get to the hospital. He had hung up on the nurse, and in his hurry left the phone on the bed. It didn't matter now,all that did was getting to JJ. And as he ran through the halls, he couldn't stop the thoughts that entered his mind.

Had JJ died? Had they had to take her back for surgery? Had a complication arisen that hadn't been foreseen? God, if JJ died he didn't know what he would do- what he would tell the team. No, JJ couldn't die, not from something as simple as diabetes.

He thought it was simple, he thought it was a disease that only older people got. Or only overweight, out of shape people. He didn't know anything about it until that fateful plane ride. And now, now he knew so much about it that it almost scared him. It was everything but simple. JJ would have to calculate how much insulin she would need to give herself based on the amount of carbs she ate, she would need to adjust her insulin according to her blood sugar, would have to predict how much exercise, stress, hormones would affect her sugar. The math behind it was mind boggling, he wasn't sure he even understood it. But JJ didn't have a choice, she would have to. Insulin- it was her life support now. He knew it was not a cure- it simply kept her alive.

Hotch made it to her room, out of breath, and almost sank to the floor when he saw what he did. JJ was gone, the room was empty, the ICU strangely silent. He stared into the room for a few seconds forcing the fear down his throat.

"Agent Hotchner." He turned to see Becky heading towards him, her eyes were red as if she had been crying, and in her hands was the FBI blanket.

"Where is she?"


	7. Welcome Back

**A/N: I cannot thank you all enough for the reviews I have gotten. I wish I could express how much it makes my day. I am sorry I am updating late, it's been one of those days. I am open to story requests if you've got them, feel free to PM me!**

Becky Dawes yawned as she downed yet another cup of coffee; she had lost count of how many she had had. It didn't matter really, fact was she desperately needed the caffeine. Night shifts were a bitch. Her patient load was small, policy dictated it be one ICU nurse to every two patients; tonight she only had one patient. Her other one had died.

Her sole focus was the FBI agent in room three. "JJ" as her friends called her, had been her patient for the past three shifts. It was not exceptionally common to have the same patient three nights in a row but she had discovered hours earlier that Agent Hotchner had specifically requested Becky be the nurse for JJ. It was an honor really, to take care of this patient.

And as the first shift passed, Becky started getting a bit worried. JJ should be coming around by now, but everyone was different, every patient was different. By the second shift, Becky was concerned JJ should have woken up by then. She had expressed her concerns to the hospitalist who agreed that something may be wrong and an MRI and CT scan was scheduled. It provided no answers and they could only speculate that she was simply taking her time, speculate that and hope that no brain damage had occurred.

She had rushed into work the third shift, hoping to hear good news. Instead, she was welcomed with the typical bedside report. She and the previous nurse had walked into JJ's room, the previous nurse giving the typical report. No change, really. Her blood sugar was down and good, but there had been no signs that the young woman was waking up.

That was four hours ago, Becky still had eight hours left in her shift. She worked three twelve hour shifts a week, if JJ didn't wake up tonight, Becky wasn't sure she would ever see the agent again. She would be off for a few days, and hopefully by then, JJ would wake.

"Hey JJ," Becky strolled into the room, glucometer in hand. It was time to test her blood sugar, as it was every hour. "Sorry, kiddo. I need to poke you again." Becky said softly, grabbing one of JJ's fingers and wiping it with alcohol. "I have heard you have brilliant blue eyes, I think you need to open them for us." She fanned the small finger, trying to dry the finger so she could poke it. "Or at least that Agent Hotchner that visits you." She pressed the lancet to JJ's finger and pressed the button.

JJ pulled away and Becky felt tears already pooling in her eyes. She was finally waking up.

It was less than an hour later that she saw Hotch racing down the hallway. She would have to catch him before he reached JJ's old room. She had the FBI blanket in hand, they had just moved JJ to a different room, and Becky, knowing how much the blanket meant, had grabbed it before the transporters moved her. She didn't want it "lost." Her eyes sprung with tears again when she saw Hotchner, she couldn't wait to tell him the great news!

Hotch stared at Becky, his heart close to breaking. No, JJ couldn't be gone, couldn't be dead. Not JJ. "Where is she?" He asked again, feeling his knees growing weak underneath him.

Becky immediately stepped up and grabbed his arm, seeing him on the verge of collapse. While Agent Hotchner and stayed true to his story, that he was simply her boss, Becky wondered if there was much more going on between the two. He obviously cared deeply for the young woman, and one night while she was working Becky briefly stepped into the ICU room.

Inside, she found Hotch brushing JJ's hair, speaking to her softly. He held her hand and tucked the blankets around her. It was when he gently kissed her on the forehead, Becky was sure that there was so much more going on. She assumed their relationship was a secret when any of the other FBI agents were with him, he was professional. Didn't touch JJ or whisper to her- when they left it was almost as if another person took over Hotch's body.

"We moved her to another room, Agent. That is all." She rubbed her arm, watching the stress and anxiety leave him. "I called you because we were able to take her off the vent."

"She's okay?" He looked the nurse straight in the eyes, a smile almost on his lips.

"Yes, she's okay." Becky assured, she wasn't exactly okay in the literal sense of the word, after all, she was still in the ICU. "But Agent Hotchner," Becky made sure he made eye contact. "She woke up." The light in his smile was what made Becky's day. "I didn't mean to scare you with my call. I tried to call you back but keep getting your voicemail." She gestured for him to follow her down the all.

"I left my cell phone on the bed." He explained, still trying to process what Becky had just told him. JJ had woken up, JJ was out of the coma!

"She asked for you," They arrived at another room, a bigger, brighter room. "She is still very lethargic, but she will answer you and open her eyes."

Hotch could only nod as he and Becky entered the room. And there she was, breathing on her own, only a nasal cannula assisting her. The nurses had her bed propped up a bit and Hotch smiled when he saw that instead of a hospital gown, JJ was now wearing her favorite sweatshirt from home. Garcia had sent it, that he was sure of.

"Agent Hotchner," Becky grabbed him before he stepped towards JJ. "Not many people who are comatose for three days make it out of here alive; she will get that. Don't forget to tell her how you feel."

Hotch stared at Becky, floored that the woman had picked up on his feelings for JJ, but he realized she was right. So with a small nod, he approached the sleeping agent, fear eating at him that she wouldn't wake up.

"JJ." He pressed, rubbing his hand over her hair. He smiled when he saw her eyes slowly blink open. "Welcome back, Agent Jareau."


	8. Idea!

**A/N: I had an awful day today- no need for me to go into details. I apologize in advance if this story isn't working for you, but I want to take a second to explain something. I write.. I simply write- I usually have no direction for the stories but try to keep them moving. I do not plan them in advance or anything- it just spills out.**

** I could really use some prayers for a family member right now, I don't want to trouble anyone with the details, but.. just really needing some prayers.**

**I had a reviewer point out something to me (and yes, I do read ALL of your reviews!) It occurred to me that I have totally, 100% forgotten to include the rest of the team (in this story- Morgan and Reid) and I do apologize! I will fix that in this chapter :)**

**Enjoy!**

JJ sat in the ICU room, exhausted, exhausted and terrified. She wanted desperately to sleep but every time she started to close her eyes, something would jerk her back awake. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, only that she was not sure what was real at that point. She could have sworn that just a minute ago, there was a thunderstorm in her room. But that wasn't possible, was it? And right before that, she knew she saw a penguin leading a giraffe wearing rollerskates stroll down the hall.

What in the world was going on?

She sat in bed shivering, shaking, trying to shake off the need to cry- she was so scared and had no clue as to why. One side of her brain told her she was safe, in the hospital, but why she couldn't really. The other side was telling her to rip out all the tubes and run.

She listened to the latter side, the one that was screaming at her to find safety, to hide somewhere other than this room. Frantically, she reached down her shirt and began ripping off the leads, sending the monitors into chaos, but JJ didn't care, she had to leave. She had to find her team- she had to get out and now!

Her hands were shaking as they ripped off the last of the heart monitor leads, they were headed for the first of the IV's when suddenly, she heard it.

"JJ!" Reid rushed in, seeing the near hysteric state is friend was in. "JJ"! He grabbed her hand and yanked it away from the IV's, holding her hands in his own as she struggled against him. "JJ, it's me, it's Reid." He tried, confused as to what had happened. This wasn't DKA, it had nothing to do with her diabetes unless she had become hypoglycemic.

Where the hell were the nurses. "Becky!" He yelled, holding JJ against his own body to stop her from hurting herself. "JJ, JJ, shh, it's me," Reid whispered, stroking her hair trying to calm her. And then suddenly, it stopped. The struggling, crying, fighting just stopped. He left her there for a minute, letting her cry onto his shoulder, but after another minute he heard only silence.

"JJ?" He whispered, pulling the blonde away, his heart breaking as he saw the fear in her eyes.

"Reid?" She spoke his name for the first time in almost a week.

"Ya, it's me. What's wrong, JJ?" He asked, hoping that nobody had hurt her.

"I.." She looked around the room. "Nothing" She shook her head. "Nothing." She whispered again as Becky rushed into the room.

"Can you test her blood sugar? I think she might be hypoglycemic." Reid explained to the nurse.

"Of course I will, Dr. Reid." She said calmly, snapping on some purple gloves before bending down in front of JJ. "JJ, honey?" Becky whispered, seeing the sweat on her patient's forehead. "Do you remember what we talked about earlier?" She waited until she got a small nod. "Good, they aren't real honey. I know you are scared and we are working on getting you to a better room. Okay?" She gently grabbed JJ's bruised finger and quickly lanced it, placing the drop of blood on the meter and watching it count down.

Reid looked on, confused. What had happened to cause JJ to get so scared, and what wasn't real? And then it clicked, suddenly, it clicked. JJ had been in the ICU for a long time, had a lot of drugs flowing in her body, didn't have optimum sunlight, was stressed and confused. She had what was commonly referred to as ICU psychosis.

"Dr. Reid." He startled out of his trance when he saw Becky looking at him. "She's okay, we are thinking she has ICU psychosis. It comes and goes for her, and it isn't something unexpected. Her doctors are looking over meds right now to see if we can adjust anything to help her."

"What can I do?" Reid asked hating to see JJ like this.

Becky smiled. "Talk to her, reassure her, Agent Hotchner already brought her that blanket- that seems to help. Is there anything else that you think might help her?" She reached into her scrub top pocket and pulled out a syringe before grabbing the tube for the IV. "Alright, honey. You'll be just fine in a minute, go back to sleep." Becky pushed the liquid into JJ's IV, watching as the drug took effect.

"You sedated her?" Reid hissed, seeing JJ quickly fall back to sleep.

"Yes, it was Haldol, Dr. Reid. Right now, she needs her sleep but she is too scared and too anxious to do so." Becky explained tucking the blankets around JJ. "Does she have a favorite book, or movie?" She asked tossing the syringe in the sharps container.

Reid thought about it, then smiled, thinking of something that could possibly help! "I'll be right back!"


	9. Laugh

**A/N: WOW! Thank you all for the reviews, you all are fantastic! AND, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for my family member- things are beginning to turn towards the positive.**

**This story is coming to an end soon, maybe another chapter after this!**

**I also want to get your opinions. I want to write a new fic very soon, but need your opinions and thoughts: on what to write: I have already written a story about JJ being abducted- however, if you have ever read my profile, you know why I write these. Would anyone be interested in reading another JJ abducted story?**

**Thanks! And enjoy!**

Derek Morgan sat in the ICU rocking chair, rocking as he watched the Cowboys/ Redskins game on the local network. Normally, he would be perched on his couch with a beer and a host of artery clogging entrees, but not today. His girl was still sick, and she needed him.

It was his shift now, it lasted eight hours, from three until eleven. Hotch would come in for the eleven till seven shift, and Reid took the seven till three shift. It worked out perfectly for all of them; and after what Reid had explained to him as JJ having ICU psychosis, they all collectively agreed not to leave her alone.

That had been two days ago, and JJ was still in the ICU. The medical staff reassured the team that JJ was improving, and would be transferred to a step down unit at anytime- they just wanted to make sure she was indeed stable.

Morgan had watched the staff come in every hour and poke JJ's fingers. They seemed so tiny to him, he was afraid the nurses might break one as they poked her and squeezed blood out. But each time, he would watch as each nurse would gently wipe away the blood and put JJ's hand back under the blanket to keep her warm.

He needed to send the staff flowers- or candy. Definitely some good candy. They deserved more than just a thank you note, and he would soon be in touch with Rossi to make sure the staff got something to show the FBI's gratitude. He had just pulled out his cell when he looked over to see JJ moving a bit.

Wanting to make sure that if JJ woke up, she wouldn't be afraid and wouldn't need to be sedated again, he walked over and took her hand in his his, rubbing it. "Jayje, open those beautiful blue eyes for me." He coxed, hoping to see her waking up.

He couldn't help but grin when she did. Her eyes slowly blinked open and Morgan readied himself for the panic that would set in.

"Morgan?" He heard her whisper and was shocked to see that for the time she seemed calm.

"Hi JJ," He said softly.

"Hi Morgan," She smiled up at him before trying to sit up.

"Hey there, easy now." He gently pushed her back down. "You've been really sick, JJ. You need to save your strength."

"So, I can't sit up?" Her voice was hoarse, but in it, he heard something he hadn't in a while now. He heard JJ, his JJ, their JJ! It was weak and tired sounding, but it was JJ's voice.

"Fair enough." He stood up and reached behind her, adjusting her pillows so they supported her. He then reached down and gently helped her to sit up, mindful of her ribs.

"Morgan, you look like hell." JJ smiled, noting his disheveled appearance.

"I always look like hell when I am in your presence, my lady." Morgan adjusted her blankets. "How are you feeling?"

JJ's smile faded. "I…" She began

"What is it JJ?" Morgan asked.

"What happened, Morgan?" Her voice had faded, and now it sounded scared. Why did it have to be him that explained this? Why couldn't it be Reid.

"JJ.." He rubbed his forehead and then realized something, she was counting on him. "JJ, what is the last thing you remember?"

She shook her head. "Not much, we were in Hawaii, coming back from a case." JJ put her hand to her side, wincing as she took in a deep breath. "My ribs hurt."

"JJ, you fell into a coma on the plane, you stopped breathing. Your ribs hurt because Reid and I gave you CPR, we didn't have a choice. You almost didn't make it JJ. We got you to the ER and they diagnosed you with diabetes. He spit the last part out.

She stared at him, processing what he had just told him, and looked away, trying to take it when he had just told her. It took a few minutes and they sat in silence for that time before JJ spoke up again a smile crossing her face. "Well, I just wanted to keep you two on your toes."

She laughed when Morgan reached over and gave her a giant bear hug. His JJ was back, and she would be just fine.


	10. Home

**A/N: This will be the last chapter of this story! Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Also, I hope this story was somewhat educational, the symptoms described earlier are truly the symptoms of diabetes. Please, if you are a loved one, yes, even a baby are experiencing these, don't blow them off. Go get yourself checked out!**

**I am not sure how much I like this ending, but after multiple tries to get one, this is the best one I could come up with! Even though it may be a bit on the cornball side... Hope you enjoy it!**

Garcia sat with her best friend as she watched JJ carefully draw up the insulin into the syringe. JJ had come a long way since Garcia had first come to visit her. She had gone from being only awake for a hours a day two days ago, to her pending discharge.

And JJ would be going home without the need to do insulin shot five times a day. Her doctor had somehow arranged for JJ to be put on an insulin pump before her discharge. The pump, as the doctor had explained, essentially delivered small increments of insulin to JJ twenty four hours a day. A small catheter would be inserted under her skin and would need to be changed every three days- something that JJ had already learned how to do. Despite the fact that she would send a needle piercing her skin, she was surprised that the insulin pump sites really did not hurt, and were nowhere as time consuming as the shots.

She would be connected to the pager looking devise all the time, but could disconnect it from her body for short periods of time. Another device, that was also inserted under her skin would "talk" to her insulin pump and with a push of a button, JJ could see her blood sugar levels.

"Now, this doesn't mean you get to stop checking your finger sticks," Her doctor, Dr. Wilson, sat in the room with her, explaining the ins and outs of the brand new black pump. "You still have to do that to adequately be able to dose your insulin."

JJ nodded as she fingered the devise, something Reid had tilted her external pancreas. "What if it breaks?" She asked nervously. It was all still so new to her, and she wasn't quite sure she understood everything. But she had Reid who could tell her anything and everything about her condition, she had Hotch who knew that she was scared of having diabetes and being in the field. She had Morgan- always her protector who made sure her home was stocked with food. And she had Garcia who was eyeballing JJ's new device with a twinkle in her eye.

"Back off." JJ warned her friend, smiling as Garcia knew she was caught.

"Now, when you get back home you need to make sure you get an appointment with an endocrinologist as soon as possible." Dr. Wilson explained, helping JJ gather her belongings. "It is imperative that you follow up with one."

"Alright," JJ agreed, still feeling a bit weak.

"Agent Jareau." She turned to look at the beaming doctor. "I want to wish you the best of luck. You have a wonderfully supportive team, a good head on your shoulders. You will do fine." He hugged her, happy to see her finally leaving the hospital.

And as JJ did, as she walked out of the hospital after almost two weeks, she looked down at her insulin pump. Her life had changed so dramatically recently, a constant need for insulin, to understand and interpret blood sugars, insulin, carbs. She was scared, very scared.

Then she saw something. Her team walking towards her, Morgan grabbing her bags, Hotch grinning at her, Reid questioning her blood sugar. And all she could do was laugh- despite her being diabetic, she was still part of her team.


	11. Black

A/N: I know I said this story was complete, but I went to bed hating the last chapter I posted. And since I am majorly OCD, I wanted to write this last chapter! BUT, it's going to set up for my next fic where JJ is abducted. So, again, thank you for bearing with me and letting me add another chapter. This one will be fairly short, but will set up for my next fic!

**I wanted to add this tiny gem: I am a type one diabetic and have been since 2001. I was seventeen when I was diagnosed, so I know a bit about diabetes. However, so many things have changed since I was diagnosed, including what normal blood sugar should be. I was told originally, it was 70-120, apparently, that is wrong and according to the American Diabetes Association, that number should be 70-100! Like I said, I am OCD and had to correct that! Thank you to the reviewer who pointed that out.**

**This chapter will be short, but is so essential to its sequel!**

**Thank you all again!**

JJ groaned she collapsed into bed, the previous week had trained what was left of her energy. She didn't want to think anymore on it, only exhaling the deep breath she had been holding since they had first accepted the case. Now, thankfully, a serial killer was behind bars and couldn't hurt anyone else.

She had just closed her eyes when she heard an incessant beeping coming from underneath her blankets. With a sigh, she turned over and reached down to pull out her insulin pump, more than slightly annoyed that the damn thing choose to alarm right as she closed her eyes.

She had had the pump now for a bit over two years- her exo pancreas as she called it jokingly. It had been the same one that left the hospital with her and it was still working and going strong. She had been impressed with herself, she had managed her diabetes and been able to remain a vital member of her team. Sure, she had to adjust some things for her new lifestyle, keeping a supply of fast acting sugar was one of them; making sure the pump was on "silent" when they went in after an UNSUB so that it wouldn't alarm and give up their element of surprise was another. Knowing how stress, exercise, sickness could affect her disease was another matter, and learning to carb count was something she had mastered.

Reid had helped her with that, had helped her count the carbs until she felt safe and comfortable doing it herself. Now, it was simply second nature. She could count the amount of carbs in any meal now with no issues- and could easily dose her insulin. Of course, Reid always voiced his opinion, but JJ had gotten to the point where she felt confident in her abilities and would now simply roll her eyes at his suggestions.

It wasn't just Reid through, JJ felt as though her entire team had her back, now more than ever. Hotch would remind her to test her blood sugar every time they got into the SUV, everytime he even thought she might be in the field. Now, JJ knew to be ahead of him and would prick her finger so she could have her answer ready when he asked her for "her number."

Morgan made sure that wherever JJ went, there as some sort of fast acting sugar for her to have in case she became hypoglycemic. He had witnessed it once, when her blood sugar suddenly tanked, and she became white as a ghost and nearly fainted; he didn't want to experience that again. He stocked the jet with juice boxes, Skittles, sodas, anything he could grab quickly and easily, at a moments notice shall JJ need it. Morgan was the one who made sure her hotel room had the supplies as well, even though JJ told him time and time again that she could handle it, she had been for two years now. It fell on deaf ears.

Alex was there when JJ simply needed to vent about her condition, when she felt so sick from a high blood sugar- even when she wouldn't admit it. Alex was there, simply to offer support. And there were days when she felt as though the men were treating her as if she would break. She would vent to Alex who would laugh with her, and nod her head.

It was Garcia who brought over cake, who laughed with JJ as she ate "forbidden" foods, who tried to bedazzle her insulin pump and glucometer one night. I

And as JJ peeked one eye open to peer at the alarm blaring across her pump, she couldn't help but smile as she thought about each member of her team.

She was still smiling as she padded her way into the kitchen, needing to refill the insulin cartridge on her pump- apparently she had less than two units remaining. And since the pump delivered half a unit an hour, she figured she had maybe three hours of sleep. Unless she just bit the bullet and changed it before she fell asleep.

JJ reached into the refrigerator and grabbed the brand new vial of insulin, setting it on the counter and she disconnected herself from the pump and began the process of refilling the cartridge.

JJ closed her eyes, and leaned against the counter,rocking to keep herself from falling asleep.. But a small sound startled her back awake and her training kicked in. She listened intently for the noise again, but when she heard nothing, she shook it off as pure exhaustion.

When she turned around, her heart jumped into her throat and instinct had her reaching for the gun normally on her hip. It wasn't there, and she was trapped- a gun to her head.

"Hello, Agent Jareau." The voice crawled, and then with a sudden sharp jolt, JJ hit the ground, the last thing she saw was the person reaching down towards her, with no mask, no gloves. He had not try to conceal his identity from her- he knew she would never identify him, she would never get the chance. And then, it was black.


End file.
